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Windyn Balindre
Prince Wendren Balindre The Merchant Prince rules over the city from Castle Balindre. He is a descendant of Windyn Balindre, the founder and first Prince of Telflamm, and his family has ruled the city for almost four and a half centuries, despite the growing problem of corruption within the city. Wendren succeeded his uncle, the canny and calculating Heldrin, in the Year of the Crown (1351 DR). Heldrin was childless and Wendren the brightest (and most sycophantic) of his five nephews (Wendren had an older brother Dellen (a drunkard braggart that travelled throughout Thesk seeking to fleece unsuspecting investors with promises of mining or trading riches, using his family name as collateral. Wendren had him slain by assassins in the Year of the Serpent (1359 DR)) and still has a younger brother Loern who is a sea captain and often absent from Telflamm. The brothers get on but don't have much to do with one another. Wendren's cousins numbered the handsome and much-admired Uldrith and the twins Gorthen and Feslin (born of the same father, Tildrith - Heldrin's youngest brother - with Wendren's father Phelarn being the middle brother. Tildrith was married twice, firstly to the beautiful if rather frail of constitution Laneetha who died in the short-lived "Black Ague" sickness outbreak in the Year of the Lurking Death (1322 DR) and the formidable and conniving Murla - known to all as the "Scarlet Flame" for her cascading (now dyed by magic) red tresses who lives still in her seventies, her youth maintained by magic and her wits maintained by a steadfast devotion to the goddess Sune). Uldrith was considered the heir apparent to Heldrin (although in truth his uncle did not hold him in too high a regard, considering him a 'stareye' - the polite term for someone who is naive in the Realms - and not tough enough to rule Telflamm) until he took sick in the waning days of the Year of the Bridle (1349 DR) and was left crippled and blind by a malady that defied all attempts to heal it whether by magic or through more mundane medical efforts. Uldrith committed suicide some months afterward, unable to cope with the constant pain that wracked his body, and Wendren was anointed as heir of the Balindre family. Of course none know that Uldrith's malady was as a result of a rare poison, known as "minth" and hailing from the Tashalar which Wendren had a pleasure lass ply on a drunken Uldrith, thereby assuring his succession to the rulership of Telflamm. Wendren's twin cousins are both his best friends and cohorts in the nefarious plots he weaves to try and wrest back the power that the Balindre family has lost over the centuries. As such he seeks to undermine the merchants who hold sway in the trade lifeblood of the city (replacing them with individuals or concerns that favour him and his or are beholden to the Balindres in some way) and carefully promotes rivals to the control of the Shadowmasters. Gorthen and Feslin are his main weapons in this regard, being loyal but not overly bright participants in his schemes and serving as both "muscle" and trusted messengers. They are both married and have two children each, with Gorthen having two boys and Feslin having two girls. Of course Wendren is not nearly as clever as he thinks and the Shadowmasters know almost all of his plans and schemes, having subverted his long-time mistress Ulthanna many winters ago. He is married to the now portly Rithla of the rich and numerous Mornspear merchant family in Milvarune (the family head, Hiordath Mornspear is one of the oligarchs of Thesk) but the marriage is a loveless one, the passion ebbing over the years as Rithla's waistline grew. They have three children Olaera (aged 22 and being readied for a politically advantageous marriage), Paerla (aged 19 and a mannish, swordmaiden in training) and Rendren (aged 14 and the heir to his father's throne but at this time only a spoilt, wilful but devious adolescent). Prince Laric of Telflamm was the short-lived de-facto ruler of Telflamm from 1364 DR to 1366 DR during the "Time of the Sharkjaws". When the pirate flotilla, known to historians as "The Sharkjaws", took control of the city in the Year of the Wave, Grand Prince Wendren was absent from the city having taken ship to Cormyr and the Dales to attempt to boost Telflamm's flagging trade situation following the devastation of the Tuigan invasion. The pirates put into office a figurehead, Laric Thalavor, a member of the Royal Household and distantly related to the Balindres. They declared Wendren's rule over, starting a rumour that he was dead and 'lost at sea'. Laric's father Naric Thalavor had been a stalwart supporter of the former Grand Prince Heldrin, but his son was cut of a different style of cloth. Ambitious and arrogant, Laric took up the role with enthusiasm and sought to legitimise the pirate presence in Telflamm by appointing their leader Evgruth to the post of 'Royal Councillor' (a new and ill-defined position of authority which allowed Evgruth to retain true power in the city but not alienate the existing population or external powers which had reacted to the events of the Year of the Wave with more than a little concern and consternation). Laric eagerly travelled to Rashemen in the Year of the Sword (1365 DR) at the behest of Iron Lord Thydrimm Yvarrg, considering the request to be the first in a series of diplomatic missions which would recognise his titular rule and the pirate presence in Telflamm and lead in time to the whole region coming to terms with the city's changed power structure. Prince Laric was slain in Rashemen at the instigation of the ruling Witches who considered the pirate presence in the city to be an opportunity to expand and exert their own influence into Telflamm and effectively giving them de-facto port access to the Inner Sea. Laric was replaced by a charmed servant, a shapeshifting creature known as a boggan, which returned to Telflamm as if nothing untoward had occurred, bringing along his new 'consort', the witch Halaertha. Within a year, the false Laric was slain, the pirates expelled from the city and Halaertha returned by shadow magic to Immilmar as the Shadowmasters asserted their age-old control over Telflamm. Wendren was returned to the throne by the Shadowmasters (he had been prevented by the pirates from returning to Telflamm by sea and had vacillated for some time as to his future prospects before commencing a long, overland journey which saw him located in Tsurlagol when the Shadowmasters struck. They saw to it that his return to the city was expedited and that he was beholden to them for the return of the "rulership" of the city) and matters set aright. Castellan Thersos Heldeion The Castellan, or governor of the castle, is in charge of Castle Balindre, the city's defenses, and the City Militia. He reports only to Prince Balindre and has served the royal family since the times of the Prince's father. Captain Fen Haldryon The commander of the City Watch and the elite Waywardens. He is kept busy weeding out corruption within the city and within his own ranks. He reports only to Prince Balindre, but the Merchants' Council does have some oversight into the operations of the Watch. The Merchants' Council Much of the power in Telflamm rests in the hands of the Merchants' Council, made up of the wealthiest and most influential people in Telflamm and by extension the whole of Thesk. The number of people in this august group varies from year to year as elder members die and promising new entrepreneurs are brought on. The Council is a legislative and regulative body, intended to balance the power of the city's ruling prince and moderate the city's commerce. The Council is housed in the Merchants' Fortress. Councilor Pren Salgirk: The leader of the Merchant's Council. This middle-aged half-elf is known for being unbiased. Councilor Alethra Dulsaer: This aging widow heads wealthy House Dulsaer, importers of Shou silk and makers of fine clothing and other textiles. She is an active supporter of the Waukeen temple and its belief in the free flow of trade. Councilor Rikmo Naquander: The newest member of the Merchant's Council is also the most mysterious. Few seem to know his background, but none question his connections to the elite of the city and the large amount of influence he wields. Councilor Ling Li Te Hsin: This elderly Shou immigrant has lived in Telflamm for decades. He worked his way up from being a simple shopkeeper to become a powerful merchant. It has taken much money and effort, but he recently won a seat on the Merchants' Council, becoming the first Shou to do so. Khazark Thazal Kakanos The Thayan Enclave in Telflamm is one of the oldest and largest in Faerun, and its leadership has always been coveted by powerful and ambitious Red Wizards, who soon find themselves moving on to greater positions of power, or being overtaken by those who are more ambitious. The current Khazark, Thazal Kakanos, replaced the old Khazark after she suddenly went missing. He is known for his impatience. Lady Justicar Vala Destrayal The new high priest of the Hall of the Avenging Hammer and a devout follower of Tyr, she has founded the League of the Avenging Hammer to aid her in her crusade to destroy the corruption that has spread over the city. Category:Inhabitants of Telflamm